Rudolph & Nickolaus
Rudolph & Nickolaus (2013)
24×18¼ Pastel on Pastel Paper
Original is Sold
I let my imagination loose for this year's Christmas painting, posing a slightly different origin story for these two icons of the season. What was St. Nick like when he was younger, before he became "Santa Claus"? And what if he and Rudolph had a lifelong bond and a long history together? I was really enthused to render my version of Rudolph and Nickolaus with a more realistic look versus the familiar claymation style, and also to do my interpretation of Santa/Nickolaus as a young buck himself. Working in pastel, the fun lay in lighting the rustic wooden barn with strings of colorful holiday bulbs and capturing that signature red glow radiating across Rudolph's harness and Nickolaus's tight red shirt.
